Forever chemicals

Topic: Environment

About:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic organofluoride chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms attached to an alkyl chain.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they never break down and remain present in the human body.
People consume the chemical after it leaks into the ground water or is released into the air.
Of the more than 9,000 known PFAS compounds, 600 are currently used in the U.S. in countless products, including firefighting foam, cookware, cosmetics, carpet treatments and even dental floss.
Because of their widespread use, release and disposal over the decades, PFASs show up virtually everywhere: in soil, surface water, the atmosphere, the deep ocean—and even the human body.